There are some things that are difficult to discover. One of those is how to make fire, but that's a baseline and universes where that was the big breakthrough don't tend to be the interesting ones. Relativity's a nice one, too, but you might be surprised how tenacious Einstein's archetype is, so it crops up. Wormhole travel before the 23rd century requires a certain type of scientific atmosphere to have cropped up, and by "certain type of scientific atmosphere", I tend to mean "world-girding psychic hive-mind". The multiverse can be an odd place, you know?

I guess the thing that's most difficult to discover is conclusive proof of the existence of a higher power, if there is such a thing. That's a heavy subject, even if you go somewhere out on the rim of probability where everyone in the world decided to become peacefully Buddhist (universes like this exist!). Everything's got a rational explanation of some kind, even if it's nebulous and makes William of Ockham (the razor guy, in a few universes where he existed) roll in his grave, so as far as we know no one in any universe has proof of something that can't be explained without a god or something. No one's got the perfect answer, because if someone did, even the Precinct would feel okay in spreading it around the multiverse.

So when we got word that mapped Earths - universes the Precinct has ties to, has data on, can contact - were suddenly touting conclusive proof and then going dark, the higher-ups in Precinct decided to get a team together. Maybe the knowledge these universes found kills rational minds and makes world civilizations into giant Kool-Aid cults. Maybe God said something funny to the people with their fingers on the "NUKE" buttons. Or maybe there's something even more sinister going on here.

No one ever said this job was easy, right?

_____________

This game will be using the Mutants & Masterminds system, which is a d20 system for superheroes. I can send people documents of interest, just hit me up on AIM (DeusFio). I'm thinking about making the power level of the RP something like 13 or 14 or 15, I haven't decided yet. I'm still learning the system, a little bit, though it sounds like a lot of fun so far.

Your character is limited to one true superpower (you can have none, at your option, of course). You can have as many Powers under the system as you want, as long as they're facets of your one superpower (i.e. things listed under Alternate Powers for that power and possibly other thematically appropriate things) or are things that you could get without being a superhuman (like the Additional Limbs power, the Strike power, the Device power, etc.). This is a tone and atmosphere thing, not a game balance thing. It's to make the powers at work here more like the powers from Heroes and less like the powers of Marvel characters (not that I have anything against Marvel, I just wanted a less power-focused game).

The setting is a new setting that I just came up with in a flash of brilliance: The Precinct, a multi-universal organization dedicated to bettering lives by exploring the outer reaches of the multiverse. The Precinct has the luxury of being able to recruit the best of the best of the best of the best - when they want to train an army, they find the greatest commander in a universe in which, thanks to some combination of quirks of chance, great commanders happen to be commonplace. If they need someone to build computers for them, they tap someone from a universe that's had artificial intelligences for longer than our universe has had indoor plumbing. If they need psychics or technopaths or water-breathing people or people who can crush rock in their bare hands, they go to universes in which Earth's got 'em. They have unknowably vast resources.

The Precinct is based on a barren iteration of planet Earth on which life never evolved, officially known as Planet One but called any number of names, from the Earth that Never Was to Bureaucrat World. The Precinct's headquarters more or less covers Pangaea on this world, and from it the organization sends its agents and researchers and explorers out into the infinite abyss of the multiverse.

I'll be looking for probably 4 or 5 players for this, maybe 6 if you're all really nice to me. Times are to be determined; I'm flexible, but my best nights are Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

I dunno yet! Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday nights are ideal for me, but no night's really BAD except Friday and Saturday.

"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

Well, I'd be up for it. I have a very lax schedule at school right now, so those days are fine with me. Mind you, you're about 6 hours ahead of me, and I can only really stay up 'til about... 4-5 AM, which'd be 10-11 PM for you. That okay?

"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

Unless people suddenly come flying out of the woodwork saying that they can't wait to play in chat, it looks like we're going to be most likely moving this to board. You're in luck, Christian!

"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

Okie-dokie. I've got the rulebook so I'll get to making a character. =D

Character Concept !!!

I'm in the making of The Technocrat(ian?), a young scientist from an alternative Earth where the British Empire didn't fall, but rather developed into something like the U.S, although with more conservative monarchy and less liberty to all. I'll get more descriptive when I've finished my character. Most likely going to be some kind of gadgeteer. Steampunk. Electricity has been fringe for a long time, and only now (early 20th century) does the united Technocratic Commonwealth allow official research into the field. And only ten researchers at any given time.

Just one question though. My character has only her torso, left arm and head left, the remaining extremities are stubs, a mishap at birth. She does, however, have mechanical limbs, and I'm torn between either just including the abilities of her mechanical limbs in the usual sheet, or put them in Device.

Problem I have with Device is that it's exploitable. Very. 4 power points spent give 5 power point to use. So I'm asking for a GM call here, should I just design her as if her mechanical limbs give her her natural stats, or do I go with assigning them to device?

Christian: The book specifically says that non-removable mechanical limbs count as innate powers, not the Device ability. The assumption with the Device ability is that it can be stolen, made inaccessible, etc. So include the mechanical limbs' stats in your own.

"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

A "tentative maybe player" is someone who said "probably"; people who said they weren't sure at all are not on the list. I'm certain that I forgot people and think it likely that I added people who shouldn't actually be on this list. SO! If you think that your name is on this list mistakenly or you feel you belong on it (either because I forgot you or you decided to do the RP) put that information here in this thread. Don't take it personally if you were overlooked; I have never pretended to be anything but scatterbrained.

"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

Man it's been a while since I've roamed around here. Feels good to be back, if not just for this.

I'm going to put down my character idea here, so others can see it, but since I live literally fifteen feet away from you, Spleen, I think I'm just going to get off my lazy arse and talk to you about it after.

The idea is (and yes I got a lot of inspiration from the Nightside series that I've been reading voraciously) a private investigator with the gift to See and Find things.

The basic character's power will be ESP, probably with sight and hearing. What I would like to do is be able to somehow append the ability to bring objects that he sees to him, sort of a limited teleport power. He himself can't' teleport, but he can teleport and inanimate object to him. He relies on his own intelligence and wit, but the gift helps him when he needs that extra bit of help.

I'll say that the ability to teleport objects to him that he can see with his ESP is part of the same power, sure.

"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

Yeah, I thought it said you were gonna send me a better copy at some point?

"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

Okay, if no one else wants that sixth spot, it can go to my other friend who's interested in joining.

"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

The Precinct was founded about seventy years ago by a man named Arn Rachi. Rachi discovered his power of dimensional travel completely by accident after his planet was attacked by raiders from another dimension. He could not save his dimension, but vowed to never let a catastrophe like the one that happened to his dimension happen to any other. Passing between worlds, Rachi made many allies, including a technician who could talk to machines, who was able to duplicate Rachi's power as interdimensional portal generators. Rachi and the allies he made created the Precinct to protect dimensions from things that they were ill-prepared to deal with, stepping into to intervene against misuse of interdimensional travel, wild psionic talent, worldwide natural disasters, etc., while attempting to keep as low a profile as possible and do whatever they could "behind the scenes".

"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

Finals don't start for me until next Tuesday, after which they will begin to kick my ass as well.

"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

I'd like some sheets from people from whom I don't have sheets. Shini, you're still in the needing of the helpings, right? I can provide assistance now that I'm no longer wrapped up in that finals crap.

Anyway, yeah, sorry, Lys. We're full up. I have a friend who's going to be replacing FD, it looks like. Maybe if Idran decides not to participate, I'll let you take his spot, but he was going to be joining part of the way through anyway. You can totally follow along on board, which is what we're going to be doing instead of chat now.

"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

Well, the portals people are going through are obviously going to have two ends. I just made Kestrel's end of the portal horizontally-oriented rather than vertical like the Precinct end. Means that in order to step through upright on the Precinct side, she has to functionally fall on her face through the thing on her side... which is what she just did.

It doesn't make a difference mechanically or anything. I just thought it would be thematically more appropriate to have it be a pool of water on her end, and I enjoyed the mental image of her getting used to adjusting from the horizontal end to the vertical end and back again (with the "back again" potentially being even more difficult).

This is the Precinct's categorization system for worlds based on stability and the need for interference.

Type 1: Directly controlled by the Precinct. Planet Zero falls into this category, as do several other uninhabited worlds. The Precinct has a very small number of times been forced to annex a world that posed a danger to other inhabited worlds; these worlds are also Type 1.

Type 2: The existence of the Precinct is public knowledge on this stable world. Generally applies to worlds that have independently developed interdimensional travel on their own and worlds saved from annihilation and made stable by drastic actions of the Precinct. Several times, the Precinct has been able to utilize its resources (often in the form of telepaths) to erase knowledge of itself from a world it has saved; Type 4A worlds result from this.

Type 3: The Precinct is clandestinely interfering in the workings of the world in a fairly major way to prevent disaster and keep it stable. Worlds tend not to stay at Type 3 for very long.

Type 4A: The Precinct monitors and occasionally tweaks this stable world to ensure that it remains stable.

Type 4B: The Precinct plans to allocate the resources to begin to monitor this stable world; it will become Type 4A when the resources are available. Most stable worlds are Type 4B.

Type 5: This world is stable without any Precinct monitoring necessary, and is expected to remain so indefinitely. This includes worlds with little or no sentient life.

Type 6: The Precinct monitors this unstable world but should not need to intervene in order for stability to be restored.

Type 7A: The Precinct monitors and occasionally tweaks this unstable world to return it to stability.

Type 7B: The Precinct plans to allocate the resources to begin to monitor this unstable world; it will become a different type when the resources are available. Most unstable worlds are Type 7B.

Type 8: The Precinct clandestinely interferes in the workings of this unstable world in a fairly major way to make it stable again.

Type 9: The existence of the Precinct is known on this unstable world, either by the general public or by beings that could be described as the Precinct’s enemies. Type 9 worlds usually become Type 2 worlds after stability is restored.

Type 10: The Precinct is a side in a major conflict on this unstable world. This is often due to a being or group gaining dangerous levels of power due to multidimensional crimes or human potentiality phenomena (e.g. superpowers), especially when there is high risk that the problem will affect other worlds. Several Type 1 worlds were once Type 10.

"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21